Love Is A Really Big Word
by heartbrokenhappiness
Summary: Troy and Gabriella try to find the guts to tell each other what is obvious to the entire school, that they love the other. Troyella. Implied Chaylor. T-Rated, to be safe. Oneshot.


**Here's a oneshot I just finished--Chad can get pretty crazy in the beginning!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all but the story line.**

* * *

Love Is A Really Big Word

Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez were East High School's golden couple. They had been dating for eight months, as of the September of their senior year. To all of their friends they were obviously in love.

Too bad they hadn't admitted it to each other. Yet.

Chad Danforth caught up to Troy, his best friend, right after he walked in the front doors of East High.

"Dude," Chad started, "Dude, you know the saying, 'you know if you love someone, but the world knows when you're _in_ love with someone'?"

"Um...Does anyone know randomly strange things like that except for you, Chad?" Troy replied, thinking that Chad couldn't get _any_ more random at the moment.

"Yes, Taylor does. She told it to me," Chad snapped back, then continued, "And, back on the subject--"

Chad was interrupted by Troy, who was speaking in a jokingly sarcastic tone, "We were on a subject?"

"Troy. Let me get my point across, man! As I was saying, you really need to stop living that quote."

_Okay, I was wrong, _Troy thought, _He could get more random._

"Huh?" Troy responded, completley confused.

"Man? You and Gaby? Dude, you're always all over each other. I speak for the entire student body when I say, it's nice that you two care about each other, but we're sick of you two make out against a locker, okay? See, that's where the whole, 'the world knows when you're _in_ love with someone,' comes in. 'Cause--"

Troy once again cut Chad off, rather impatiently. "Chad? Your point?!"

"I'm getting to my point!!" Chad yelled, causing many people in the hallway to turn and stare.

"Quiet down, dude, people are staring!" Troy whispered.

"I'm getting to my point! Chad began again, but quieter, "Anyway, you're, like, living by that quote. The whole world can tell that you and Gabs are in love. And, frankly, it disgusts me. I don't need to see two of my best friends trading spit every other minute. Just tone it down a bit."

Chad continued to walk ahead, after he finished his little 'speech.'

Troy hung back a minute, thinking. _Love. Geez, did Chad just say that?_

"Um...Troy! Yoo-hoo! Step out of 'Stand-In-The-Middle-Of-The-Hallway-And-Let-People-Walk-Around-Me-Land' and move your butt!" Chad announced very impatiently to a dazed Troy.

"What? Oh, um, yeah, Chad. And, for the record, Gabriella and I just _like_ each other."

"Ha! Very, very hard to believe, my friend. What the freakish hell do you mean by that?"

"Language, Chad. There are ninth-grade ears around," was all Troy replied, though not without earning a couple death-glares from the freshmen nearby, obviously not wanting to be thought of as children who needed protection from mild language.

"Troy, I didn't ask you to censor me, I asked you what did you mean that you and Gaby only 'like' each other. I mean, you like Taylor," suddenly Chad's voice changed from sarcasm to mock-horror, "Are you telling me that you make out with my girlfriend behind my back?"

Troy rolled his eyes. "Love is a really big word, Chad. Leave it at that." Then he took off to homeroom, leaving Chad calling after him,

"You didn't answer my last question! Do you make out with Taylor? Do you make out with Sharpay? Do you make out with Kelsi? Do you make out with Martha? Dang it, do you make out with Darbus? I know you don't like her, but--"

Chad's rant was interrupted by Zeke, who patted him on the back and said soothingly, "Let's get you to homeroom, buddy."

* * *

**At the same time...**

Taylor McKessie caught up to her friend Gabriella in the school hallways, and started in on her.

"Good morning, Gabriella. You know, Chad and I were talking at my house last night--"

Gabriella interrupted her. "Talking?" she asked this with a playful giggle.

"Yes. Talking." Taylor replied sternly, obviously annoyed at her friend. Then she continued, "I don't want to embarrass or make fun of you, Gaby, but um...We were talking about you and Troy."

"And why would that embarrass me?"

"Well...We were kinda talking about how..." Taylor paused, trying to choose her words carefully. She knew very well how embarrassed Gabriella would be if she asked this the wrong way.

"Tay-lor? What do you want?" Gabriella pushed, getting a little impatient.

"Fine, Gabs! We were talking about how it's been getting on our nerves how you and Troy always kiss to the millionth power in front of us! I mean, it's understandable that you two love each other, apparently a lot, and all, but could you try and keep it G-rated? In public, at least?" Taylor finished, feeling a little bad at how she'd blurted it out, especially when she saw Gabriella's face slowly turn beet red.

"We're not in love, okay Tay?" was all Gabriella replied, obviously more shaken up about the 'L' word than her best friend's outburst.

"What do you mean by that, Gaby? It's obvious to the whole word that you lo-"

Gabriella cut her off quickly, saying, "Please don't use that word, okay?"

Taylor studied her best friend closely, then said, "Honey, how can you say that? Oh my God, did he not say it back when you told him? Do you want me to punch? Or kick? 'Cause if that guy hurt you in any way, then--"

"Taylor! No I did not and no he did not. Just - leave it at this, 'love is a really big word,'" then Gabriella ran off before Taylor could say anything else.

* * *

"Hello, Beautiful," Troy greeted Gabriella in front of her locker a few minutes before the bell rang for third period.

He leaned down to kiss her, and was about to deepen it, before he remembered Chad earlier, and lifted his head.

The second he did that, Gabriella giggled and said, "Chad got to you this morning, huh?"

"Got to me? That would be an understatement. He started off the conversation with some weird quote, then ended it by asking me if I made out with Darbus."

Gabriella giggled again. Geez. That was why she loved him. He could make the most awkward conversation in the world into a stand-up comedy routine. Oops. Did she just think, 'loved?' Darn. Too late.

Troy noticed the blank look on his girlfriend's face and asked, "What's wrong? Did Taylor say something to you?"

"Huh?" Gabriella snapped out of her trance. "Sorry, I was just thinking..."

"About what?"

"Nothing, just something Taylor said, like you said..."

"About us?"

"No...Just something about...Physics," she lied.

"Oh," was all Troy responded, the pressed her up against her locker, and romantically started kissing her, despite their surroundings.

"Troy!" Gabriella gasped, as she pulled away after a minute, "Troy! What about Chad?"

"To be honest, I took his little...Talk...as a...'Friendly suggestion', instead of a 'desperate plea.'" Then he leaned back in, but the bell rang and students scattered.

Gabriella saw him walk away, then turn his head and give her a little wink.

_God. I really do love him, _she thought.

At the same second, Troy was thinking, _Maybe, just maybe, Chad was right. I love her._

* * *

Later that night, around 11:30 P.M., Gabriella was sitting on her bed, finishing up her homework, wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and one of Troy's Wildcat sweatshirts.

Her back was to the balcony doors, and when she heard them open suddenly, she flipped around and jumped a mile into the air before she even saw who it was.

A second later, Gabriella was screaming, "Troy! What the hell?? You do know I have a phone, or a front door, or you coulda at least knocked!! Geez!"

"Or you could have had your door locked," was all Troy replied, with a playful grin. Then he added, "And there is my sweatshirt, God, I've been looking for it everywhere. You look cute in it."

Gabriella rolled her eyes at the hidden compliment, and responded, "Oh my god. Whatever. And, may I ask, what are you doing at my house at almost midnight? You do know that my mother could come in here at any minute and get the _wrong_ idea, if you know wha--"

Troy cut her off with a quick kiss on her lips, then said, "I just came by to say goodnight, and," Troy started getting a little nervous at what her was about to say next, and was relieved when Gabriella pulled him into another kiss.

A few minutes later, she pulled back and asked, "Now what were you going to tell me?"

"Um...That...I love you," there. Finally, he'd said it. And, he had meant it.

A smile crept up onto Gabriella's face, and she responded by giving him a kiss and saying, "I love you, too."

Another few minutes later, Troy spoke up and said, "You know, earlier today, I told Chad that love is a really big word."

Gabriella's smile grew bigger, knowing how he wanted her to reply.

"Mm-hmm. But it's not too big for us."

Troy gave her a wink, then turned back to her balcony and climbed back down, saying as he climbed, "Goodnight, Ella. I love you."

"Love you, too," she said back, then turned back to her bed to finish her homework.

But not before locking her balcony's door.

* * *

**So, what do you think? Sorry, I just _had_ to put in that last part about "But it's not too big for us," no matter how sappy it was!**

**Review! XOXOXO**


End file.
